Hermetic motor compressor



I FIG. I

1957 J. w. SEIGART 3,335,942

HERMETI C MOTOR COMPRES 50R Filed Jan. 5, 1966 4| INVENTOR. JOHN W. SEIGART.

ATTORNEY.

FIG. 2

United States Patent Office 3,335,942 HERMETIC MOTOR COMPRESSOR 1 John W. Seigart, 131 Butterfield Circle,

North Syracuse, NY. 13212 Filed Jan. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 518,391 3 Claims. (Cl. 230-58) This invention relates to hermetic motor compressors, and more particularly, to hermetic motor compressors capable of being driven from an outside power source.

In hermetic motor compressor units, the crankshaft is usually journalled in the partition member dividing the compressor housing into motor and crankcase compartments, and in the crankcase compartment end wall. This arrangement eases alignment of the crankshaft, and reduces cost. That section of the crankshaft projecting beyond the partition member into the motor compartment, which bears the motor rotor, is not supported and misalignment or deflection which may occur in this unsup ported crankshaft section is accommodated by the gap between motor rotor and stator.

However, where the hermetic motor compressor unit is designed to permit drive of the unit from an alternate power source, the crankshaft is lengthened to project outside the compressor housing adjacent the crankcase end. The outside power source is connected to the projecting crankshaft end. In units of this type, the compressor oil pump, which is driven by the crankshaft, is conveniently positioned at the motor end of the crankshaft. In this construction, misalignment or deflection of the crankshaft section bearing the motor rotor may adversely affect the operation of the oil pump.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved hermetic compressor apparatus.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mounting arrangement for the crankshaft driven oil pump of a compressor which permits the unsupported end of the crankshaft to be rigidly coupled to the oil pump.

It is an object of the present invention to provide, in a hermetic motor compressor apparatus of the type having a relatively long, unsupported crankshaft section drivingly connected to the compressor oil pump, an arrangement permitting rocking movement of the entire oil pump mechanism to accommodate misalignment and deflection in the crankshaft section.

This invention relates to a hermetic motor compressor apparatus which comprises a housing including first and second end Wall portions; partition means separating the housing into a crankcase compartment including the first end wall and a motor compartment including the second end wall; compression means in the crankcase compartment; a drive motor including a rotor in the motor compartment; a crankshaft rotatably journalled in the partition means and the housing first end Wall operatively interconnecting the rotor with the compression means; the crankshaft being of a length sufiicient to project without the first end wall to permit driving of the apparatus from an outside power source, the opposite end of the crankshaft extending through the rotor toward the second end Wall; pump means for circulating lubricant to the working surfaces of the apparatus; means drivingly connecting the crankshaft opposite end to the pump means. and means supporting the pump means in the second end wall for limited rocking movement of the pump means relative to the housing to accommodate misalignment of the crankshaft.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the ensuing description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of the hermetic motor compressor apparatus of the present invention; and

3,335,942 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 FIGURE 2 is a sectional view showing the details of the compressor oil pump mechanism taken along lines II-II of FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, there is shown a hermetic motor compressor apparatus 4 of a type capable of being driven from an outside power source, for example an internal combustion engine (not shown) or by electric motor 6, as will be more apparent hereinafter. Compressor 4 includes housing 8 separated by partition 10 into motor or suction compartment 12 and crankcase compartment 14. Crankshaft 15 is rotatably journalled by bearings 17, 17' in partition 10 and flange member 18. Flange member 18 is secured to housing end wall 19 as by bolts 20. Pistons 22, slidably disposed in cylinders 23, are operably connected to eccentric portion 24 of crankshaft 15 by connecting rods 25. Rotor 28 of motor 6 is fixedly attached to shaft section 53 of crankshaft 15.

Valve plate 30 and cylinder manifold head 31 are securely fastened to housing 8 opposite cylinders 23. Valve controlled suction and discharge ports 33, 34, respectively, in plate 30 control the flow of relatively low pressure gas from suction manifold 36 in head 31 to cylinders 23 and the discharge ofrelatively high pressure gas from cylinders 23 to discharge manifold 37. Port 38 in valve plate 30 communicates suction manifold 36 with the motor compartment 12.

Line 40 connects motor compartment 12 with a suitable source of suction gas. Gas drawn through line 40 passes through motor compartment 12 into heat exchange relation with motor 6 to dissipate heat generated by motor 6, and through port 38 into suction manifold 36. The relatively high pressure gas in discharge manifold 37 may be passed through line 41 to the point of use.

End 15' of crankshaft 15 projects through flange member 18 to permit driving of compressor 4 from an external power source, for example the aforementioned internal combustion engine. A suitable pulley and clutch mechanism (not shown) may, for example, be employed to drivingly connect the outside power source with crankshaft end 15 in a manner known to those skilled in the art.

Seal 44, housed in flange member 18, prevents escape of lubricating oil and refrigerant from compressor apparatus 4. Spring 45 maintains seal 44 in tight engagement with cover plate 18' of flange member 18 and crankshaft 15. Passage 46 in flange member 18 permits return of oil from bearing 17' and seal 44 to the sump 48.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, oil pump 50, Which circulates oil to the several points of frictional Wear within compressor 4, for example bearings 17, includes a sleeve-like eccentric 52 within which reduced end 53' of crankshaft section 53 is rotatably disposed. Drive segment 54, secured to crankshaft 15, has a radial portion 55 engageable with eccentric 52 to drivingly connect the pump eccentric 52 with crankshaft section 53. Pump vanes 58, spring mounted within cylindrical pump casing 60, ride against the outer peripheral surface of eccentric 52.

Pump casing 60 is disposed within opening 61 in motor end Wall 62 of housing 8. End plate 64, secured to wall 62 as by bolts 65, closes opening 61. Conduit 66 leads from crankcase sump 48 to the space 67 between pump 50 and end plate 64.

Crankshaft 15 is provided with an oil distributing passage 70 leading from pump 50 to the several bearing surfaces, for example bearings 17, 17. Oil intake passage 72 in crankshaft 15 opens into space 67. Openings 74, 75 in eccentric 52 communicate with passages 70, 72, respectively, in crankshaft 15. On rotation of eccentric 52, oil from intake passage 72 is trapped by vanes 58, the trapped 3 oil discharging through opening 74 into passage 70 for distribution to the several bearing surfaces.

To accommodate a reversal in rotation of crankshaft 15, a degree of lost motion is providedbetween drive segment 54 and eccentric 52 sufficient to enable openings, 74, 75 in eccentric 52 to align with crankshaft intake and distributing passages 72, 70, respectively, to sustain uni directional output of oil pump 50.

To accommodate misalignment of crankshaft 15, oil pump 50 is arranged for limited rocking or rotational movement about an axis perpendicular to the axis of crankshaft within end wall 62. To this end, the outer dimension of pump casing 60 is slightly less than the dimension of opening 61 in end Wall 62. To prevent leakage of oil from space 67 into the relatively low pressure motor compartment 12, an O-ring type seal 80 is arranged between pump casing 60 and the sides of opening 61. Pump casing 60 may be grooved slightly at 82 to seat seal 80 and prevent displacement of seal 80 during compressor assembly.

By the present construction, applicant has provided an oil pump mounting arrangement which enables the relatively unsupported motor end of the compressor crankshaft to be rigidly coupled to the oil pump, misalignment or, deflection of the projecting crankshaft section being accommodated by the pump mounting arrangement.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a compression apparatus the combination of a housing including first and second end wall portions; partition means separating said housing into a crankcase compartment including said first end wall and a motor compartment including said second end wall; compression 4 means in said crankcase compartment; a drive motor including a rotor in said motor compartment; a crankshaft rotatably journalled in said partition means and said housing first end wall operatively interconnecting said rotor with said compression means; said crankshaft being of a length sufficient to project without said first end wall to permit driving of said apparatus from an outside power source, the opposite end of said crankshaft extending through said rotor toward said second end wall; pump means for circulating lubricant to the working surfaces of said apparatus; means drivingly connecting said crankshaft opposite end to said pump means; and means supporting said pump means in said second end wall for limiting rocking movement of said pump means relative to said housing to accommodate misalignment of said crankshaft.

2. Compression apparatus according to claim 1 in which said pump means includes a substantially cylindrical outer casing, said supporting means including a substantially cylindrical recess in said second end wall for receiving said pump means, the dimension of said second end wall recess being greater than the outer dimension of said pump means casing.

3. Compression apparatus according to claim 2 in which said supporting means includes O-ring sealing means in the space between said pump means outer casing and the side of said second end wall recess to prevent loss of lubricant from said pump means into said motor compartment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,902,205' 9/1959 Parker 23038 3,211,365 10/1965 Phelps 230206 ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,335,942 August 15, 1967 John W. Seigart It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 14, for "limiting" read limited Signed and sealed this 29th day of October 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. IN A COMPRESSION APPARATUS THE COMBINATION OF A HOUSING INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND END WALL PORTIONS; PARTITION MEANS SEPARATING SAID HOUSING INTO A CRANKCASE COMPARTMENT INCLUDING SAID FIRST END WALL AND A MOTOR COMPARTMENT INCLUDING SAID SECOND END WALL; COMPRESSION MEANS IN SAID CRANKCASE COMPARTMENT; A DRIVE MOTOR INCLUDING A ROTOR IN SAID MOTOR COMPARTMENT; A CRANKSHAFT ROTATABLY JOURNALLED IN SAID PARTITION MEANS AND SAID HOUSING FIRST END WALL OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTING SAID ROTOR WITH SAID COMPRESSION MEANS; SAID CRANKSHAFT BEING OF A LENGTH SUFFICIENT TO PROJECT WITHOUT SAID FIRST END WALL TO PERMIT DRIVING OF SAID APPARATUS FROM AN OUTSIDE POWER SOURCE, THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID CRANKSHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ROTOR TOWARD SAID SECOND END WALL; PUMP MEANS FOR CIRCULATING LUBRICANT TO THE WORKING SURFACES OF SAID APPARATUS; MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTING SAID CRANKSHAFT OPPOSITE END TO SAID PUMP MEANS; AND MEANS SUPPORTING SAID PUMP MEANS IN SAID SECOND END WALL FOR LIMITING ROCKING MOVEMENT TO SAID PUMP MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING TO ACCOMMODATE MISALIGNMENT OF SAID CRANKSHAFT. 